


Survival is Needed to Make it Through the Day

by JLub (Aprotny)



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome Shuri (Marvel), BAMF Peter Parker, BAMF Shuri (Marvel), Grief/Mourning, Major Original Character(s), Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Peter Parker & Shuri Friendship, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Peter Parker, Survivor Guilt, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, bad things happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29074476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aprotny/pseuds/JLub
Summary: It’s hard to remember everything can change in the blink of an eye, faster than you can snap your fingers.***That’s why Peter James Stark, aka Peter Benjamin Parker, aka Spiderman, was caught off guard the day Thaddeus Ross came after him.His flight to Wakanda in search of safety sparks a chain reaction.At the end of the day, will he ever make it home?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. The Beginning of the End (As it So Seems)

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing this in a notebook for a while and finally decided to type it up. Not quite finished with it yet but I got pretty far in the storyline. I hope you all enjoy!  
> Side note: Title is not finalized. Lemme know if any of you have a better idea for it! :) <3

Peter James Stark had known for ages that the worst days started out great. He’d been at a playdate when he’d found out about the deaths of his Mom and Step-Dad. He’d been having a blast at the Stark Expo when the Hammerbots attacks. He’d been riding the high of a fun day with his aunt and uncle when they got mugged and said uncle bled out in his arms. The field trip to Oscorp had been fantastic despite his father’s reservations, until Flash locked him in that room with the spiders.

So he really shouldn’t have been surprised when his next major life event happened on a good day.

It was the school day after the Academic Decathlon team had won Nationals and they were having a party. Everyone had brought something. Peter’s contribution was some lasagna, made by his father with his grandmother’s recipe.

He was talking with Ned about a new Spiderman lego set that had just come out when a familiar ringtone blared loudly through the room.

Peter froze a moment before frantically digging out his phone.

Why was she calling him? She was a fugitive! She hadn’t contacted him in months!

Ignoring MJ’s disapproving glare, he answered the call.

“Hello. I admit I wasn’t expecting…”

“Get out of there.” Nat interrupted him, straight to the point as always.

“What? Why? What’s going on?”

“I’d explain more if we had time, but they’re entering the school now. You have less than two minutes until Ross and his team get to your position. I don’t know how they found you, but they’re planning to take Spiderman to the Raft. And they know you and him are one and the same.” Peter scrambled for his backpack. “Leave behind anything that can be traced. We’ll get you out of the city but you need to get out of the school. If you go to the roof and use your web shooters, you should be able to swing over their attempts at surrounding the building. They have helicopters. I trust you know how to get lost.”

“Peter, what’s…?” Ned began.

“Ned, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. MJ, you’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever met and I love you. Bye.” He ran, ditching his backpack in the hall as soon as he had his spare web shooters out.

Shouting alerted him to pursuit. He sent a quick “I love you” text to his family’s group chat before dropping his phone by the door to the roof and strapping on the web shooters.

He caught sight of the helicopters almost immediately and quickly located the clearest path away from them.

Jumping off the roof, he swung into an alley, grateful that he knew Queens better than Ross or any of his men.

It took less than five minutes to lose them and get to a cache of spare clothes and essentials.

He was unsurprised to find (blonde?) Nat waiting for him when he got there.

She wasted no time checking him for injuries, a flash of relief crossing her eyes when she found none.

“Thank you.” Peter said. “If you hadn’t called to warn me…”

“Conflict or not, the Avengers take care of their own.” Nat replied evenly. “Don’t touch the cache. Tony has trackers and alerts set in all of yours. I’ve got clothes for you here.” She shoved a grocery bag filled with clothes at him. “Be quick. They’re already searching for you.”

Peter obeyed, wondering faintly why he had yet to freak out over what was happening. Probably adrenaline.

Once he was changed, baseball cap tugged down to hide his eyes, Nat led him through the maze of alleyways before finally stopping at a hidden car that looked, simply put, like a piece of junk.

They got in and Nat drove through the city, sticking to packed roads before they finally reached a shady area somewhere in the Bronx.

Peter had no clue where they were, but he trusted Nat. The news that had filled the car through the radio as they drove proved she’d been telling the truth.

So when she got out of the car and headed for a run-down building nearby, so did he.

After a brief exchange with a dark-skinned man Peter most definitely did not recognize, Nat turned to him.

“Pickup will be after dark. Go with them. You’ll be safe where they take you.” She dug a card out of her pocket. “This number will connect you to whatever phone I’m using. One-time use. Stay safe, okay?”

Peter nodded, thanking her one last time as he pocketed it, before hesitantly moving past the dark-skinned man into the run-down building.

Six other kids and teens were gathered in the room. Half of them looked up when he entered. Peter wondered where they came from for a moment before realizing he likely wasn’t the only enhanced kid Ross had gone after. There was likely an entire protection scheme in plan and Nat had just added him to the list.

He wondered where their destination was, and hoped Nat was right as to the safety of it.

##  ****

Shuri was frustrated. She couldn’t make the formula work. She, girl genius and lead scientist of the Wakandan Design Group, could not figure it out.

She groaned as yet another combination failed the simulator. She’d thought getting some fresh would help her think, but she’d been out of the lab on a bench in the park for two hours and still hadn’t figured it out.

“You’re missing Methanol and Toulene.”

Shuri jumped a foot in the air, let out a curse in her native language, and spun around to see a brown-haired white boy behind her.

“What?” She growled.

“Spiderman’s web formula, right? You’re missing Methanol and Toulene.”

“How would you know that?”

The boy looked sheepish. “Um…”

She glared at him until he finally sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

“You know the enhanced refugee program the king helped organize?”

“Yes.”

“I’m one of the refugees, and I am, well was, Spiderman.”

Shuri stared at him in disbelief. He looked completely serious, but still…

“You’ve got the measurement wrong on the Salicyclic Acid too. That much would prevent it from sticking as well as it needs to.”

With a grunt of frustration, Shuri shoved her tablet at him. “You run the simulator with your version and maybe I’ll believe you.

The boy shrugged and took the device from her. After a couple of minutes adjusting what she already had, he ran the simulator.

It came back positive.

“You were really Spiderman? I have so many questions. How did you stick to walls and the ceiling? I was so impressed with the youtube video of you catching that bus with your bare hands. How strong are you really? Screw it. I’m taking you to my lab and you’re going to show me what you can do. This is awesome. I’m Shuri, by the way. In case you didn’t know.”

“My name’s Peter. And yeah. I recognized you when you turned around.”

It didn’t take long after Shui got Peter to the lab for her to realize just how smart he was. His rambling and well-informed questions about everything in the lab proved he could definitely keep up with her to some extent.

Neither realized just how much time had passed until T’Challa called Shuri.

“Hey, Shuri, remember that important diplomatic dinner I asked you to attend?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“It started half an hour ago.”

“Oh crap!”

“You’re still in your lab, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, Brother! I’m on my way!”

Peter watched her guiltily as she grabbed her things and dragged him out of the lab so she could lock up.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to distract you.”

“Not your fault. I enjoyed it. Meet me at that bench tomorrow at ten o’clock. You’re my new assistant.”

Peter didn’t get a chance to respond as she ran off towards the palace, trusting him to get back to the refugee camp on his own.

She was looking forward to hanging out with him again.


	2. The Enhanced Camp Massacre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to place a trigger warning at the beginning of this chapter. If the chapter title isn't indication enough, there's a lot of minor character death in this. This was in part the idea that inspired the story. I wanted to explore what occurred afterwards. Anyway, enjoy. Or don't. Your choice.

To say Tony Stark was on a warpath would be a major understatement. Since the day Ross went after Spiderman/Peter Parker one month ago, he’d dug up every single abuse of the Sokovia Accords since the day they were passed, making countless arguments for their removal and organizing a replacement document that protected the identities of enhanced individuals and barred minors from being forced to reveal themselves or their extra abilities without consent from them, their parents or guardians, AND a UN committee focused on keeping young enhanced individuals and mutants safe from scorn.

Ross was removed from power within three days of his failed attempt at capturing Spiderman, and the new document was set to be finalized and signed into law two weeks after the vote to remove the Accords, taking place in two days now.

T’Challa was impressed.

He hadn’t missed his sister’s growing bond with Peter behind the scenes either. Since they’d met a week after Peter’s arrival in Wakanda, they’d been near inseparable with the exception of diplomatic meetings Shuri was required to attend that Peter couldn't be seen at.

Unfortunately, things were going too well. So well that the universe decided to throw a screw in it.

“My king, there’ve been explosions sighted at the refugee camp. We can’t get close enough to evacuate.”

A big screw.

##  ****

It was chaos reincarnated. Explosions were going off everywhere. The exits were blocked. There was nowhere to run.

“I can make a tunnel! Get everyone in who you can!”

Cole was one of the few friends Peter had made during his time in Wakanda. Peter could barely hear him over the mayhem, but he managed to catch enough of the statement to help guide those nearby towards Cole’s tunnel opening.

Shuri scooped up one of the youngest refugees and ran towards Peter and the opening. A bomb went off a foot away from her, sending her flying.

“Shuri!” Peter raced towards where she’d landed. Burns coated her skin and she was unconscious, but she’d managed to protect the five-year-old in her arms.

Peter scooped them both up and sprinted for the tunnel. No sooner had he made it inside when there was a large crack like thunder and a landslide blocked the entrance.

A flashlight lit up the interior of the tunnel after ten minutes of darkness. Only 23 kids had made it in.

Peter looked around, realizing that, next to Shuri, he was the oldest. The tunnel shook as another bomb went off on the other side.

“We need to move.” He took charge. “We’re not out of the clear yet.”

After checking the five-year-old could walk on her own, he arranged Shuri into a piggyback-style hold and motioned Cole to lead the way.

For a while, the only sounds to be heard were from Cole reworking the earth into a walkable tunnel. Every few thousand yards, he’d make a thin, almost unnoticeable shoot leading up to the surface so they wouldn’t run out of air. His progress covered the much quieter sound of their feet pattering over the floor as they followed him. No one spoke.

After several hours of this, Cole stopped, breathing hard.

“Do you need a break?” Peter asked. Shuri had woken a while ago, but he was still carrying her due to her obvious concussion.

Cole waved away his concern, making another air shoot. “You have superhearing, yeah? Can you hear anyone above us? Is it safe to emerge? I think we’re past the Wakandan border by now.”

Peter focused, filtering out the breathing and heartbeats of those around him.

“I can hear some elephants, but that’s about it. We’re safe to emerge, but let me go first regardless. I have a sixth sense that’ll tell me if there’s danger.”

Cole arched the tunnel upward, making an opening just big enough for Peter to squeeze through. The teen leaned Shuri against the side of the tunnel and stepped outside.

The sun had set a while ago and the moon was a sliver thick. A couple of elephants glanced over from their herd crowded around a nearby pool of water. A couple of smaller animals poked their heads out too, but Peter couldn’t see any humans within a mile of their locations, despite the flat land and his enhanced vision.

“All clear!”

Cole opened the tunnel wider and the other kids filtered through, a taller girl helping Shuri, who stumbled a little due to her concussion.

“We’ll get a little away from the tunnel and set up camp.” Peter decided. “Then, we need to assess injuries and plan our next move.” His stomach grumbled, but he ignored it. He might have super metabolism that made him feel like he hadn’t eaten in three days, but everyone else was hungry too. They had no supplies to remedy that with.

“Do you think that water is safe for human consumption?” One of the boys pointed towards the elephants.

Peter looked around at the kids surrounding him, all longingly looking in that direction.

“I doubt it’s poisonous. We could get stomachaches, but we do need water. It’s better than not drinking anything at this point.”

The kids all took his word as permission and rushed over to the pond, leaving him and Shuri by the tunnel Cole had blocked off after everyone was out.

“You’re doing a good job. Leading the group, I mean.:

“How’s your head?”

“Hurts like hell, but could be worse.”

“What do you think happened to everyone else in the camp?”

“I can… my kimoyo beads are gone!”

Peter looked at her. Her eyes were wide with panic.

“They must have fallen off when that explosion threw you.” He softened his tone. “I know you’re not used to going without them, but that’s not our top priority right now. Survival is. We don’t know who blew up the camp, but we could still be in danger. We need to stay hidden and stick together. That's what we need to focus on. Food, water, shelter, medical supplies. Those are our top priorities.”

Shuri took a deep breath. “You’re right. I just… what if T’Challa finds them and thinks the worst?”

“I hate to say it, but that’ll likely happen, if it hasn’t already. There’s nothing we can do about it right now. Come on. They’re not the only ones who are thirsty right now.” He took a step forward before turning to look Shuri in the eyes. “Have faith, Shuri. We’ll be okay.”

Shuri smiled. “Yeah. We will be. I’ll follow your lead.”

They joined the others at the pond.

##  ****

T’Challa was both furious and devastated.

By the time his forces were able to safely enter the camp, it was clear there were no survivors, some bodies even burnt to unrecognizable crisps.

Eleven adults and over two hundred kids and teens, all violently murdered because he failed to protect them.

As the evening wore on, it became exceedingly clear they wouldn’t be able to swiftly identify all the bodies. And there was no sign whatsoever that there was a single survivor.

It was when they were wrapping up for the night when T’Challa was struck by a fatal blow. A set of kimoyo beads had been found in the center of the camp.

And they were Shuri’s.

It had been hours since the discovery. A press conference was scheduled for ten in the morning. T’Challa had yet to get a wink of sleep and it was approaching five. Not quite sunrise, but getting close.

All he could think about was Shuri and Peter. If Shuri had been in the camp at the time of the attack, that meant Peter most definitely had been as well. The few times he’d met the boy, T’Challa had found himself impressed and charmed. He was a really sweet kid, humble and clever. It was no wonder he and Shuri had bonded faster than he could say "Spider-kid".

Crap. How was he going to tell the Avengers he’d failed to protect the one child they valued most? That that precious and endearing teenage boy was now dead?

He didn’t want to think about it, but time was creeping on and it was sunrise now. By 6:30, he’d given up on sleep and gotten up and dressed in traditional Wakandan colors of mourning.

He dined silently, alone. His mother wasn’t up yet, and he likely wouldn’t see her until the press conference.

He checked on the progress of the search for the perpetrators. They were narrowing down suspects fast. Many people involved had been located, but they had yet to identify the leader. The committee head promised to be at the press conference to report what they’d found thus far.

All too soon, it was time, and he stood in front of a crowd of reporters from at least 50 different countries.

“Last night, we bore witness to a massacre. Someone within Wakanda saw fit to bomb a refugee camp in the Golden City. Staying in the camp were 268 enhanced individuals, only eleven were over the age of 18 and only ten were elsewhere in the city at the time of the attack. Despite our best efforts, we could not evacuate or even get near the camp until the attack was over. All evidence points to no survivors. We have yet to identify all the bodies, many of which are burned beyond recognition. An investigation is underway to find those responsible, and I can promise you that the perpetrators will be shown even less mercy than the children they murdered. Less than none. My intelligence committee head will now report on what has been found so far. M’Naba?”

T’Challa stepped back to let M’Naba share the findings. After he finished speaking, it was time for questions.

“King T’Challa, why has no one heard of these refugees before now? How did they get here?”

“Due to the age of the majority of the refugees and the fact that many of them were being hunted for nothing more than simply being enhanced, we kept the program on the down-low. We worked with a variety of individuals in a number of cities around the world to get them here. It was widely believed they would be safe here in Wakanda. I have never been more upset about being wrong in my life.”

“Your highness, rumor has it your sister was in the camp at the time of the attack and no one has seen her since. If this is true, what was she doing there?”

“My sister bonded swiftly with one of the refugees. They’ve been nearly inseparable over the past few weeks. Last night, Princess Shuri’s kimoyo beads were found at the scene of the crime. We believe both she and her friend were there at the time. Her loss is devastating. She… she is one of many who died last night and I know I am not the only one in the world deeply affected by this tragedy. My sister did not deserve her fate. Nor did anyone else caught in that massacre. I will personally ensure all those involved regret their actions.”

T’Challa hoped no one noticed the tears streaming down his face. There was no hiding the fact his voice cracked multiple times while speaking of Shuri.

“We have time for one more question.” Someone said.

“If you’ve been helping minors hunted by the authorities for being enhanced do you know anything about where the vigilante Spiderman is now?”

T’Challa’s breath hitched. His mother noticed and cast him a sorrowful look before answering the question for him.

“Spiderman and Princess Shuri’s refugee friend are one and the same.”

You could hear a pin drop in that room. Or pens in clipboards. Multiple of those slipped out of reporters’ hands at the response.

T’Challa wasn’t fully aware of being led out of the room. All he could truly register was the magnitude of his failure and the fact the Avengers now knew their kid was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like comments. Please make me happy. I have been working on this on paper for months and want validation from sharing with you. No pressure, but I love reactions. :)


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